No. 259, March 2017 www.echoofislam.com ISSN: 1019-0775 No. 259, March 2017 No. 260, March 2017 www.echoofislam.com ISSN: 1019-0775 Managing Director: Hamid Reza Azadi [email protected] Translator & Editor: Saeed Kalati Editorial Board: Hashem Mehrani, Rahman Mehraby, Mina Vakilinejad, NOWRUZ in the Islamic Period 4 Firouzeh Mirrazavi, Saeed Kalati Public Relations Manager: Customs and Traditions before Nowruz 11 Maryam Hamzelou Nowruz in Islam 14 Art Director: Majid Ghasemi Esfandgan Celebration Anniversary of Fertile Earth and Women 17 Design: Karnic Advertising Agency Fatemeh Ghasemi, Zahra Ghasemi Norouz Across Various Lands 20 Nowruz History and Its Origins among Iranians 28 Magazine of ITF, P. O. Box: 14155-3899, Tehran, Happy Nowruz and New Iranian Year 30 Islamic Republic of Iran, Tel: +9821-88897662-5, Persian New Year’s Table Celebrates Nature’s Rebirth Deliciously 34 Fax: +9821-88902725 Website: http://www.itf.org.ir Major activities Of the department of holy shrines of Iraq 36 Email: Info@ itf.org.ir Compiled by: Mina Vakilinejad Introduction The Islamic conquest altered many Iranian traditions specif- ically associated with national ideology, imperial institutions, and Zoroastrian rituals. Although Nowruz was an established symbol of these three aspects, it did survive while less significant festivals were eclipsed by their Islamic rivals and gradually be- came abandoned by indifferent Mongol and Turkish rulers or hostile clerical authorities during Safavid and Qajar periods. Nowruz survived because it was so profoundly engrained in Ira- nian traditions, history, and cul- tural memory the Iranian Identity and Nowruz mutually buttressed each other, and the emergence of a distinctly Persian Muslim so- ciety—and later the emergence it explains the establishment of basid caliphs to the Pahlavis. of a nation state with the advent increasingly sophisticated and Along with its many ceremonies, of the Safavids—legitimized the protocol-ridden royal audiences and most notably that of gift ex- ancient national festival and al- with all the pomp and ceremo- change, it provided the rulers lowed it to flourish with slight ny they could muster. Like all with an alternative source of af- modifications or elaborations. In- rituals, therefore, it both mani- firming and enhancing their pow- deed, as will be set out in subse- fested a belief or ideology and er and prestige through a strictly quent sections, the incremental reinforced it through an annual non-Islamic channel; for unlike expansion of Nowruz ceremo- recital. It was precisely because religious festivals, they could ap- nies from the Safavids, through Nowruz was associated from the pear and be celebrated as the the Qajars, to the Pahlavi peri- outset with cultural memories focal point and the peerless he- od enabled the court to parade of the splendor and divinely be- roes of the occasion. its power and strengthened its stowed power of the royal courts While most of the traditions attempts at forming a stron- of pre-Islamic Persia that it was now associated with Nowruz ger central authority. Besides, attractive to rulers, from the Ab- have been inherited from the 4 Special Issue, No. 259, March 2017 affected by Persian culture. But ʿAżod-al-Dawla (r. 949-83) cus- even these are problematic, as tomarily welcomed Nowruz in a the former category mainly de- majestic hall, wherein servants scribes court usages and the lat- had placed gold and silver plates ter usually gives uncritical narra- and vases full of fruit and colorful tives embellished with rhetorical flowers. He sat on a costly seat and, frequently, fanciful interpre- (masnad), and the court astron- tations. omer came forward, kissed the History up to the Safavid pe- ground, and congratulated him riod. The Arabs captured the on the arrival of the New Year. capital of the Sasanian Empire Then the king summoned the on a Nowruz day, taking the cel- musicians and singers and invit- ebrating inhabitants by surprise ed his boon companions. They (Yaʿqubi, I, p. 198). Henceforth, entered and filed in to their as- the early Arab governors force- signed places, and all enjoyed a fully levied heavy Nowruz and great festive occasion. Beyhaqi Mehragān taxes on the con- describes the lavish celebration quered people (Jahšiāri, pp. 15, of Nowruz at the Ghaznavid 24; Ṣuli, p. 219). The Umayyad court (Beyhaqi, ed. Fayyāż, pp. and Abbasid caliphs retained 9, 12, 704, 751, 815), and some this onerous burden of taxation of the most beautiful descriptive on their conquered subjects, but, opening passages of Persian at the same time, they also cel- courtly panegyrics (especial- ebrated both Nowruz and Meh- ly by Farroḵi, Manučehri, and ragān with considerable relish Masʿud-e Saʿd-e Salmān) are past usages, no comprehensive and pomp, thereby helping to in praise of Nowruz.Their simple history of Nowruz in the Islamic keep alive Nowruz and its many yet melodious rhythms suggest period has been written. Such traditions (Masʿudi, Moruj VII, p. that they may have been ac- an account must be pieced to- 277; Tanuḵi, pp. 145-46; Ahsan, companied by music. The mel- gether from occasional notices pp. 287-88). odies known as the “Nowruzi” in general and local histories, Later, other Islamic dynasties airs, apparently inherited from brief records by geographers, of Persia did the same (for the the Sasanian period, included and scattered references in Taherids, see Jāḥeẓ, p. 150; the Great Nowruz (Nowruz-e works of poets and storytellers. for the Samanids, see Biruni, tr. bozorg), Nowruz-e Kay Qobād, Only for recent times do we have Sachau, p. 217), and the court the Lesser Nowruz (nowruz-e detailed information in the form poets praised the occasion and ḵordakorḵārā), the Edessan- of eyewitness reports by travel- offered their congratulatory pan- Nowruz (Nowruz-e rahāwi, com- ers and, more importantly, stud- egyrics. Yāqut reports (Boldān, prising the Arabian and Persian ies of contemporary practices Cairo, VI, p. 258; cf. Moqadd- melodies), and Nowruz-e Ṣabā throughout Persia and countries asi, p. 431) that the Buyid ruler (Dehḵodā, s.v. “Nowruz”; Boru- Special Issue, No. 259, March 2017 5 mand-eSaʿid, pp. 302-8). In the 384). In Shiraz, Muslims and of the Tigris opposite Kalwāḏā, 14thcentury, Ḥāfeẓ says that “the Zoroastrians celebrated Nowruz and on the Denā (text: dmā) melody of the Nowruz breeze together and decorated the mountain in Fārs. Tasting honey (bād-e nowruzi) rekindles the in- bazaars (Moqaddasi, p. 429). thrice in the morning of Nowruz ner light, and the melody of the Biruni testifies that many ancient and lighting three candles be- “Throne of victory” (taḵt-e piruzi) Nowruz rites were still observed fore speaking were thought to inspires the song of the nightin- in his time. People grow, he ward off diseases (Idem, p. 216). gale intoxicated by flowers.” says, “seven kinds of grains on People exchanged presents (no- The Nowruz festivities were seven columns and from their tably sugar), kindled fire (to con- by no means restricted to the growth they draw inferences sume all corruptions), bathed in royal courts. It was “a solemn as regards the crop of the year the streams (Idem, p. 218), and feast through all of Persia, ... ob- whether it would be good or bad” sprinkled water on each other. served not only in the great cit- (Biruni, Chronology, tr. Sachau, EbnFaqih (p. 165) specifies ies, but celebrated with extraor- p. 217). They held the first day that “this ancient custom is still dinary rejoicings in every little of Nowruz as particularly aus- observed in Hamadan, Isfahan, town, village, and hamlet” (Lane, picious, and the dawn the most Dināvar, and the surrounding re- 1848, II, p. 462; see also Biḡami, auspicious hour (Idem, p. 217). gions,” and the Tarjoma-ye Taf- I, p. 150; Farāmarz b. Ḵodādād, Good omens appearing before sir-e Ṭabari (I, p. 148, n. 1) adds I, p. 49; for testimonies of poets Nowruz included fires and light that in so doing people said: “May see Borumand-e Saʿid, pp. 253- glowing on the western bank you live long! (zendabāšiā!zend- abāšiā!).” We may add that to this day traditional households sprinkle rose water on relatives and guests. According to Kušyār (apudTaqizāda, p. 191), the sixth day of Nowruz was called “Wa- ter-pouring [day]” (ṣabb al-māʾ) and was revered as the Great Nowruz and “the Day of Hope,” because it commemorated the completion of the act of creation. Ḡazāli (I, p. 522) strongly disap- proved of Muslims celebrating Nowruz by decorating the ba- zaars, preparing sweets, and 6 Special Issue, No. 259, March 2017 making or selling children’s toys, en bought special Nowruz per- or gardens; the commoners did wooden shields, sword, trum- fumes, and “eggs were dyed in this on the street (Ketāb al-Ha- pets, and so on.” various colors. To sprinkle per- fawāt, tr. Tritton, pp. 144-45). In 897, the Abbasid caliph al- fume on a man ... and tread sev- A detailed account of Nowruz Moʿtaẓed (r. 892-902) forbade en times on him was a means celebration in the 10th-century the people of Baghdad “to kindle of driving away the evil eye, la- Isfahan is given by EbnḤawqal bonfire on New Year’s Eve and ziness and fever. Antimony and (p. 364): “During the Nowruz pour water [on passersby] on rue were used to improve the festival, people gather for seven New Year’s Day,” but fearing riot sight during the coming year. days in the bazaar of Karina, a he rescinded the order (Ṭabari, Colleges were shut and the stu- suburb of Isfahan, engaged in III, p. 2163). The Fatimid caliphs dents played. ... Muslims drank merriment; they enjoy various also repeatedly forbade the kin- wine in public and ate cleaned food and go around visiting dec- dling of fire and sprinkling of wa- lentils like the ḏemmis and joined orated shops.